2009 D e c i sion s O p inion s of the U nit e d S t at e s C our t of Appe al s for the Thir d C ir c uit 1-29-2009 

# U SA v . V a s P r e c e de nt i al or N on-P r e c e de nt i al : N on-P r e c e de nt i al D ocke t N o . 06-4932

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Thi s de c i sion i s br ou ght t o you for f r e e and ope n a c c e s s b y the O p inion s of the U nit e d S t at e s C our t of Appe al s for the Thir d C ir c uit at V i ll anova U nive r sity S choo l of L a

w Di git al Reposit ory

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. F or mor e inform at ion, p le as e c ont a ct Be n j amin . C arl s on@l a

w . vi ll anova . e du . Re c omme nde d C it at ion " U SA v . V as " (2009). 2009 D e cisio n s . P ape r 1973. http://d i git alc ommon s .l a

w . vi ll anova . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2009/1973T h e H o n o rab le M arv in J. G arb is, D istri ct Ju d g e f o r th e U n it ed S tat es D istri ct C o u rt * f o r t h e D is tr ic t o f

M a ryla n d , s ittin g b yd e s ig n a tio n . NOT P RE CE DE NT I AL UN I TED STATES CO UR T OF A PP EALS F O R T H E T H IR D C IR C U IT

____________ N o. 06- 4932 N o. 07- 1803 N o. 07- 2462

____________ UNI T E D S T AT E S OF AM E RI CA , A ppel l ee,

v. N O RV EL V A S, A p p e llan t

____________ O n A p p ea l from U n it ed S tat es D istri ct C o u rt f o r th e E a ste rn D istric t o f P e n n sy lv a n ia ( D . C . N o. : 04- cr - 00489) D i s tr i ctJ udge: H onor abl e C ynthi a M . R ufe

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J anuary6, 2009 B e f o re : C H A G A R E S , a n d H A R D IM A N , C i r cui tJudges a nd G A RB I S, D is tr i ct Judge * ( Fi l ed: J anuary29, 2009)

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ire a rm in v io latio n o f

1 8 U .S .C . § 9 2 2 (g )(1 ). V a s a rg u e s th a t th e G o v e rn m e n t f a iled to p ro v e its c a se b e y o n d a re a so n a b le d o u b t an d th a t th e D istric t C o u rt e rre d b yd e n y in g h is m o tio n to s u p p r e s s e v i d e n c e . W e wi l l a f f i r m. I. B ecause w e w ri t e exclusi velyfor the p art i es, w e recoun ton l ythe essenti al fact s. In O c to b e r 2 0 0 2 , thr e e law e n f o rc e m e n t o f

f ice rs in p lain c lo th e s s p o tted V a s w h ile patr ol l i ng a hi gh cr i m e ar ea of Phi l adel phi a i n an unmar ked ca ratappr oxi m at el y8: 00 p. m . V as i m m edi at el yducked be hi nd a parked ca rand pee r ed overhi s s ungl as s es att he offi cer s . O ffi cerE r i c R i ddi ck then al i ght ed fr om the ca rand V as r an. A ft erchec ki ng t he ar ea ne art he ca r , R i ddi ck w al ked i n t he di r ect i on thatV as had run, and s aw hi m i n a nearbydr i vew ay , pl aci ng a gun i n t he w heel w el l of a ve hi cl e. A ft erR i ddi ck w as j oi ned b ya n o th e r o f

f ic e r, t h e yid e n tif

ie d th e m s e lv e s a n d to ld V a s th e yw a n te d to ta lk to h im . V as r an aga i n, t he off

i cer s r etr i eved the gun, and V as w as arr es t ed ata nea rbyr es i dence .

II. V as fi r s tar gues t hathi s convi ct i on s houl d be vac at ed bec aus e the G overnm ent pr es ent ed i ns uffi ci entevi dence t o connec thi m t o t he gun thatw as found. I ti s axi om at i c that“a c onvi ct i on m us tbe s uppor t ed bys uffi ci entevi dence . ” See, e. g. , B urks v. U

ni t ed Stat es , 4 3 7 U .S . 1 , 1 6 -1 7 (1 9 7 8 ). W e a p p ly“ a p a rticu lar ly3

d e f e re n tial sta n d a rd o f

re v iew w h e n d e c id in g w h e th e r a ju ryv e rd ict re sts o n leg a lly s uffi ci entevi dence . ” U ni t ed Stat es v. D ent , 149 F. 3d 180, 187 ( 3d C i r . 1998) . W e vi ew t he evi dence i n t he l i ghtm os tfavor abl e t o t he ver di ctw i nner , and w i l l aff i r m i f “a ny r at i onal t r i erof fa ctcoul d have f ound the es s ent i al el ement s of the cr i m e bey ond a r eas onabl e doubt . ” Id . T h is is , o f c o u rs e , a ra th e r m in im a l b u rd e n . Id . I n s u p p o r to f

h i s f i r s tc l a i m, Va s r e l i e s h e a v i l yo n th e t i me l i n e o f e v e n t s . He cl ai m s i tw ou l d h ave b een im po ssi ble for R i dd i ck to hav e seen h i m hide the g un becau se R id d ic k te s tif

ie d th a t h e w a lk e d a f

te r V a s h a d ru n f

ro m w h e re V a s w a s o ri g in a lly sp o tte d . A ccor di ng t o V as , t hi s phy s i cal i m pos s i bi l i t yl ed t o a j uryver di ctbas ed on s pecul at i on, c o n jec tu re , o r su rm ise th a t th e o f f ice r h a d se e n V a s p lac e th e g u n in th e w h e e l w e ll. T hi s ar gum entpl ai nl yfai l s beca us e i tr equi r es us t o di s bel i eve Ri ddi ck’ s t es t i m ony t hathe w i t nes s ed V as pl ace t he gun i n t he w heel w el l of the vehi cl e. T he ver di ct d e m o n stra tes th a t th e ju ryc re d ited R id d ick ’s te stim o n ya n d it w o u ld b e im p ro p e r to w e ig h th is e v id e n c e o n a p p e a l. U nited S tates v. C arr , 2 5 F .3 d 1 1 9 4 , 1 2 0 1 (3 d C ir . 1 9 9 4 ). C o n tr a ry to V a s ’s a rg u m e n t, th e ju ry’s v e rd ic t w a s n e ith e r c o n je c tu ra l n o r i rr a tio n a l. W hen he s aw t he pol i ce, V as fl ed. V as then cha nged hi s cl othes and aba ndoned partof hi s at t i r e, al ong w i t h hi s s ungl as s es and ca p, i n a di ffe r entl ocat i on than w her e the gun w as found. Fi nal l y , V as gave a fal s e name aft erhe w as eventual l yarr es t ed on a ne arby por ch. T aki ng al l of thes e fa ct s i n t he l i ghtm os tfavor abl e t o t he G overnm ent , i ti s cl ear th a t th e e v id e n c e w a s s u f f icie n t to su sta in th e ju ry ’s v e rd ict.4 III . V as next ar gu es that the D i stri ctC ou rterr ed w hen i tden i ed h i s m oti on t o sup press t he fi r earm r ecove r ed byR i ddi ck. W e r evi ew the “de ni al of a s uppr es s i on m ot i on for cl earerr oras t o t he under l y i ng fac t s , butexer ci s e pl enaryr evi ew as t o i t s l egal i t yi n l i ght of the di s t r i ctcour t ’ s pr oper l yfound fa ct s . ” U ni t ed Stat es v. C ol es , 437 F. 3d 361, 365 ( 3d C i r . 2006) . V as cl ai m s t hatt he fi r earm w as s ei zed w i t houta w arr ant , w i t hout p ro b a b le c a u se , an d in th e a b se n c e o f e x ig e n t circ u m sta n c e s. V a s’s c o n ten tio n s, e v e n if t rue, ar e i r r el evantbeca us e the Four t h A m endmentaff or ds hi m no pr ot ect i on as he w as nevers ei zed. “The w or d ‘ s ei zur e’ r eadi l ybear s the meani ng of a l ay i ng on of hands or a p p lica tio n o f

p h y sic a l f

o rc e to re stra in m o v e m e n t, ev e n w h e n it i s u lti m a tely uns ucce s s ful . . . . I tdoes notr emot el yappl y , how ever , t o t he pr os pectof a pol i ceman y el l i ng ‘ St op, i n t he name of the l aw ! ’ ata fl eei ng form thatcont i nues t o fl ee. T hati s no s ei zur e. ” Ca l i

f o r n i a v . Ho da r i D. , 4 9 9 U . S . 6 2 1 , 6 2 6 (19 9 1 ). I n Ho da r i D. , t he def

endantthr ew coca i ne i n an al l eyw hi l e runni ng fr om pol i ce. T he Supr eme C our thel d t hatH odar i D . w as nots ei zed w hen the off i cer s chas ed hi m , and t her efor e the Four t h A m endmentdi d notappl y . B eca us e he a bandoned the coc ai ne b e f o re b e in g se ize d , the o f f ice rs le g a llyto o k c o n tro l o f it. H e re , the o f

f ice rs w e re f

re e to ex ittheir ca r an d w alk a b o u t th e p u b li c streets. T h eyw ere m ere lyw alkin g in V as’s dir ect i on and had no teven t old hi m t o st op w hen he ab and on ed the fi rearm . T hu s,5

beca us e V as w as nots ei zed, t he pol i ce w er e fr ee t o r ecove ranyevi dence he aba ndoned. V as w as eventual l ys ei zed a nd arr es t ed on the por ch of a nearbyhous e. B ythat t i m e, t he pol i ce ha d s een hi m l aydow n t he fi r earm and di s cover ed i t s obl i t er at ed s er i al n u mb e r , a n d t h u s h a d p r o b a b l e c a u s e t o a r r e s th i m. In su m , b e c a u se th e e v id e n c e w a s s u f f icie n t to su p p o rt V a s’s c o n v ictio n a n d h is m ot i on t o s uppr es s w as notw el l - founded, w e w i l l aff i r m the j udgm entof the D i s t r i ct C o u rt.